By Cross Udo, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has directed that a thorough investigation be conducted to ascertain the accuracy and validity of the allegation against the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, over the alleged payment of N585m into a private account.
About N585.189m allegedly meant for the vulnerable in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos was reportedly paid into a private account.
This came few days after the President suspended the National Coordinator National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu, over an alleged N44bn fraud. The suspended coordinator of NSIPA is currently being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The alleged payment of the N585m on the orders of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation has attracted widespread outrage and calls for the sack and prosecution of Edu even though she has denied the allegation.
But the Federal Government through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris has assured that the matter will not be swept under the carpet.
The Minister said that President Tinubu has directed that a thorough investigation be carried out to establish the veracity of it, adding that anyone found culpable would face the music.
A statement issued yesterday by Idris in Abuja read, “The Ministry of Information and National Orientation acknowledges the concerns raised by the public regarding the alleged payment of funds into a private account by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. We are aware of the narratives circulating widely and wish to assure Nigerians that the Government takes these issues most seriously.
“The Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is transparent and accountable to the people and committed to ensuring that public funds are allocated and utilized effectively and efficiently to address the needs of Nigerians.
“In light of recent events, the President has directed that a thorough investigation be conducted to ascertain the accuracy and validity of the reported details.
“The government is determined to unravel the truth as it relates to this matter and assures that appropriate action will be taken to ensure that any breaches and infractions are identified and decisively punished, in line with the Administration’s commitment to public accountability and due process.
“The public is advised to note, against the backdrop of various unverified narratives circulating on the Internet, that the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, under the leadership of Minister Mohammed Idris, is the primary source for verified information about events and actions of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“Only accurate details will be shared with the public. The Ministry is committed to providing timely updates to keep Nigerians informed about the progress of the investigation.
“We urge Nigerians to exercise patience as the investigation unfolds. The government is focused on ensuring a fair and unbiased process, and the findings will be communicated duly and transparently to the public.”
*SERAP to President: Direct AGF Fagbemi, anti-graft agencies to investigate the payment of grants to private account
Meanwhile, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Tinubu to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly and thoroughly probe the alleged payment by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu of N585.2 million meant for disbursement to vulnerable people in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos, and Ogun states into a private account.”
SERAP also urged him “to direct Mr Fagbemi and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly and thoroughly investigate whether the N585.2 million has been paid into any private account, and to identify and publish the names of anyone who may have received the money.”
The group said, “Anyone suspected to be involved in any improper payment or diversion of public funds should be brought to justice and any diverted public funds returned to the public treasury and paid directly to the rightful beneficiaries.”
In the letter dated 6 January 2024 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Paying public funds into private accounts may create the perception or appearance of impropriety and give cover to any potential wrongdoing or diversion.”
According to SERAP, “Investigating these allegations and ensuring that the public funds meant to take care of the poor are transparently and accountably spent and recovering any diverted public funds are serious and legitimate public interests.”
The letter read in part, “The public interests in safeguarding against the perception or appearance of impropriety or corruption also require your government to remove the opportunity for abuse inherent in the payment of public funds into private accounts.
“The Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the country’s financial regulations and international obligations impose a fundamental obligation on your government to ensure transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds meant for socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians.
“Your government has a legal responsibility to ensure full compliance with the Financial Regulations 2009, prohibiting the payment of public funds into private accounts, to reduce vulnerability to corruption or risks of the funds being diverted for personal ends or other unlawful purposes.
“Government officials hold positions of public trust. Public officials are expected to ensure compliance with Nigerian laws and international standards in the discharge of their public functions.
“The persistent lack of transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds meant to take care of the poor raises issues of public trust, makes the funds vulnerable to corruption or mismanagement, and undermines the integrity of poverty intervention programmes.
“Your government has a legal obligation to probe and prosecute allegations of abuse of office and corruption in the spending of public funds meant to improve the conditions of vulnerable Nigerians.
“SERAP is concerned that successive governments have failed to ensure transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds budgeted for social safety nets and poverty alleviation programmes and projects.
“Any risks of corruption in the spending of public funds meant to take care of the poor would erode the effectiveness of the government’s oft-repeated commitment to address the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy on vulnerable Nigerians.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.
“Any failure to investigate these grave allegations, bring suspected perpetrators to justice, and recover any diverted public funds would undermine the integrity of the government’s poverty intervention programmes.
“It would also create cynicism, and eventually citizens’ distrust about the ability of your government to prevent corruption or the appearance of corruption in the programmes.
“Nigerians have the right to be free from poverty. Any risks of diversion of public funds budgeted to lift vulnerable Nigerians out of poverty would pose both direct and indirect threats to human rights, and exacerbate extreme poverty in the country.
“It would also undermine your government’s legal obligations to effectively and progressively address and combat extreme poverty as a matter of human rights.
“SERAP also urges you to direct Betta Edu to publish details of spending of public funds drawn from the account of the National Social Investment Program (NSIPA), an agency under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Allegation, including the names of beneficiaries and details of the amounts received by them since 29 May 2023.
“SERAP urges you to instruct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to jointly track and monitor the spending of any public funds drawn from the account(s) of the National Social Investment Program (NSIPA).”
Similarly, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday demanded the prosecution of the embattled Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Edu, over the alleged looting of N44bn NSIPA fund and the N585m paid to a private account.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, made the party’s position public in Abuja.
He said the alleged fraud which has just been exposed in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs is just the tip of the iceberg of the “unprecedented treasury looting, unbridled stealing and plundering of resources going on in the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration which has practically brought the nation’s economy to its knees.”
Ologunagba said, “Is it not tragic and heart-breaking that a Minister entrusted with public funds to support millions of poor Nigerians who have been impoverished by the APC, turned around to divert hundreds of millions of naira meant for the wellbeing of the poor?
“The continuing stay of Betta Edu as Minister is therefore provocative and amounts to stealing from a people and daring them to do their worst. It further confirms our Party’s position that the Tinubu-led APC government is a cesspit of corruption; a haven for thieves and treasury looters.
“Nigerians were shocked by reports of how Betta Edu and the suspended National Coordinator of NSIPA, Halima Shehu allegedly engaged in brazen looting of billions of Naira while Nigerians who the funds are meant for are deprived and abandoned to excruciating hardship and misery.
“Equally disheartening is the reports of how Betta Edu allegedly directed the transfer of the N585.2 million NSIPA money into the private account of one of her fronts in clear violation of Chapter 7, Section 713 of Nigeria’s Financial Regulations, 2009 which expressly prohibits the payment of public money into a private account.
“For emphasis, Section 713 of Nigeria’s Financial Regulations, 2009 provides that “Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private bank account.
“An officer who pays public money into a private account is deemed to have done so with a fraudulent intention.
“The apparent fraudulent intention by Betta Edu in diverting public funds into a private account; an action which was appropriately declared illegal by the Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, is consistent with APC’s character and proclivity for plundering of public resources.
“The lack of remorse by the Minister especially in her lame attempt to justify the illegal diversion of funds meant for poor Nigerians is also consistent with the insensitivity, heartlessness, impunity, and criminal audacity inherent in the APC administration.
“A very disturbing information in the public domain indicates that the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs is allegedly working with two prominent APC officials in the Presidency and the National Assembly, who are alleged to be using Ministers and other officials of government to divert billions of naira to personal accounts.
“Additional information reveals that there are moves to use the suspended National Coordinator of NSIPA, Halima Shehu as a scapegoat to sweep the involvement of the Minister and the said APC leaders under the carpet.
“What Nigerians demand of President Tinubu at the moment is to demonstrate commitment to the fight against corruption by immediately sacking Betta Edu, hand her over for investigation, prosecution and take steps to recover the stolen N44 billion and channel the fund recovered towards the wellbeing of Nigerians.
“The PDP also demands that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) immediately invite Betta Edu for questioning and take further steps to commence a system-wide investigation into the alleged large-scale corruption and treasury looting pervading in Ministries, Agencies, and Departments (MDAs) under the APC administration.”
*Embattled Minister Betta Edu says its smear campaign
The embattled Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation has said plans to tarnish her image will fail.
The minister’s comment came after a document recently emerged showing that she allegedly disbursed N585m into a personal account.
Edu said the plans to tarnish her image would amount to nothing.
She also denied any wrongdoing on her X post.
“Integrity and accountability are our watchwords! Under my watch in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, no one will embezzle government funds as before.
“The plans to tarnish the image of this administration, my person, or the Ministry will amount to nothing,” she stated.
